I’ve always thought that people who roam the mountains alone, with a backpack alone, are the losers of life whose dreams are long buried. I longed to go solo to the mountains at a time when I didn’t care if I died tomorrow or yesterday. But bankrupts usually have a long way to go, so I didn’t go anywhere at the time.

Even today, the circumstances had to add to my decisive step to cross the Giant Mountains. The combination of corona-border closures and bad weather ruined my original intention to go with the group of friends to the mountains in Germany or Austria. I was standing in the hall with my packed backpack, with babysitting for the whole weekend and no plan at all. And so I remembered one old dream… !!

Why the crossing of the Giant Mountains?

The Krkonoše Mountains reported sunny weather and terrain, which, despite my zero mileage with a backpack, I am able to manage. It was decided to cross the Giant Mountains! I left the car in Špindlerův Mlýn near Orea Resort Horal, for which I paid CZK 300 for the whole weekend. The hot staff at the next boarding house advised me not to pay anything for losing one of the so many parked cars, but since I’m no rebel and the last thing I want to do on Sunday after returning from the hills is a towed car, I humbly paid. I didn’t have to go uphill for five minutes to come to Hotel Panorama, where you can park your car for the whole weekend for only two hundred. You can easily calculate which is more advantageous. I’ll be smarter next time.

Pure beauty

I am perhaps the only one who, after the third afternoon, begins to climb the Old Buchar Road (following the red road) to the mountains. Everyone goes the other way around, going back to the bars and luxury beds in Špindl. I happily roll in all directions, at least the first three kilometers for sure. As I climbed the stony trail for the fourth kilometer, my backpack begins to weigh considerably. In an effort to relieve myself of excess kilograms, I drink a liter of water, eat two lighthouses with bread and one tatranka. When I step on Goat’s backs, I want to blink a little, but the enthusiasm doesn’t subside. The views are divine! I ignore the sore thighs and I will do the few meters I need to conquer the Krakonoš (1422 m above sea level). It’s shortly before six in the evening, the sun is starting to lean into the hills from the side and I’m enjoying the beauty! Not even a living thing. I’m a little sorry I didn’t pack my wonderful hammock in my backpackHamakaonline , I could sway and dream here now.

Meadow well-being

Before I go to the common dormitory of Luční boudaI unwrapped my mat and sleeping bag, peeled off two small cuckolds (beer from a local brewery, CZK 70) and loved the sunset. It is only late that I find out again that I should have stayed first, because then I would have a 20% discount on the outrat. So next time… While enjoying other cuckolds, I learn from two sympathizers that who doesn’t go to Sněžka at sunrise tomorrow, as if they weren’t even here. And because I’m very adaptable and subject to crowd moods, it’s clear I’m going too. And I’m not really alone. The alarm clocks in the shared dormitory ring from 3:30 a.m. as groups of people gradually leave for the morning beauty. Although I leave the sleeping bag at 4:50, I still stand at 6:00 at the highest point in the Czech Republic (which is said to be in Poland by the way). An icy wind blew a single cloud blocking the view, and the rays illuminated the horizon. Splendor! I’m just surprised by the number of people who decided to leave the warm bed in the dark. So many lunatics together!

• Orea Resort Horal – Meadow Hut 5.2 km
• Luční bouda – Sněžka and back 7.2 km
• accommodation in a common room with own sleeping bag + breakfast – 580 CZK

Polish Giant Mountains

After 10 o’clock, the morning gentle and quiet beauty of the mountains begins to spoil the mountaineers from the neighbors – cześć, cześć, cześć – no, hi. But they are well behaved, yes. I walk on a rocky sidewalk and the number of tourists who have decided to cross the Giant Mountains spoils my mood a bit. But what can be done, the mountains are all.

From Špindler’s hut, the number of tourists is decreasing, but the number of worries is increasing. The hill in front of me stands on the back, and I only had one beer. My calves and thighs are starting to hurt, behind my neck, between my shoulder blades, my ankles and I’m also pounding terribly. In fact, I can no longer… not even eat! I’m the slowest of the slowest. The click of the walking sticks of the retirees who overtake me is driving me crazy. I have been photographing Women’s Stones for a long time, I have been lying with Men for a long time. Is it really that bad with my fitness? When I see all the shrunken smiling faces around, it’s clear to me that it won’t be with age. I’m still going alone!

When I think that I have successfully overcome all contours, a view of the Snow Pit Transmitter opens up in front of me. It’s desperately far and desperately high! I’m moving so slowly that I’m really embarrassed. I am saved by the dramatic scenery of the Snow Pits, which fascinates me so much that I forget about a certain death by exhaustion. I had no idea that such dramatic scenery awaited me in the Giant Mountains. You can’t take many pictures, so you have to climb here for the beauty. At least I took a picture of me.

Refreshed by the experience, I stumble the last kilometers to  Labská bouda and I am fascinated again. This time the enormity of the building. The four floors of the stairs, which I have to go down from the reception to the lower deck, where the greedy people are staying, who do not want to give two thousand for a standard room, also seem scary to me.

In the evening, I listen from the hotel terrace to the deer attracting females and one human male trying to seduce me. He can pay me for a beer, he can!

• Luční bouda – Labská bouda 15.5 km
• accommodation on the ground with its own sleeping bag + breakfast – 650 CZK

Back to reality

Hard on the body, but easy on the soul. Within ten hours, I don’t meet an animal on the way through Labský dol (along the blue). It’s a fresh, sunny morning, and if my legs didn’t hurt and my backpack didn’t hurt, I would jump with joy like a chamois. I’m a little sorry that my crossing of the Giant Mountains is over, but on the other hand I’m happy that I finally gave it!

The crossing of the Giant Mountains did not cleanse my soul, I did not find the hidden truth in the solitude of the mountains, nor did I become a better person. I just enjoyed one wonderful weekend in the mountains! I apologize in return to all lonely vagabonds. They don’t have to be desperate, they’re actually pretty happy people.